Church enjoys offering seniors a free lunch

Thursday

Jan 12, 2012 at 5:24 PM

Thad AngellozStaff Writer

The Rev. Jerry Nettleton said providing a free lunch for seniors is something he finds fulfilling.The free monthly seniors lunch is open to anyone at Temple of Praise Church, 109 Wayne Ave., Houma.“It’s something they (seniors) really look forward too,” said the 56-year-old Nettleton. “After we eat we head into the church where I like to tell funny stories, and we even get someone to come provide entertainment.”The church’s retired pastor, the Rev. Kirkland Martin Sr., said he never knew a time when the church didn’t hold monthly luncheons.“It started before I got here in the mid-’90s,” said the 77-year-old Martin in a previous interview with The Courier. “It was a ministry I loved because it meant so much to the people who faithfully came out to them every month.”The church’s secretary, Lucille Womack, said it was important to Nettleton to keep the luncheon in tact when he took over the leadership role at Temple of Praise Church in 2010.“He (Nettleton) didn’t want to change things at all,” she said. “All of us at the church look at it as our way of giving back something to our community.”According to Womack, her and others gather the Friday before the luncheon to set up the necessary items for the event.“I’m there most of the time,” she said. “I sometimes cook the meals, but the main thing I tend to do is the registration and handing out of name tags.”Houma resident Edmond Cormier, 83, loves going to the monthly lunches.“It’s great,” he said. “It’s just a nice opportunity to get together and fellowship with one another. I’ve been eating the lunches for a while, and I can tell you the food is excellent.”Nettleton likes the idea of these sorts of events because it gives church members and outsiders a chance to socialize after services.“Most of the times you might say hello to your neighbor before the service begins, but once it’s over you’re heading somewhere to find something to eat without talking to them further,” he said.A portion of the church’s weekly collections go toward offsetting the cost of the lunches, Nettleton said.The next free lunch is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Jan. 21. The menu includes spaghetti and meatballs, a vegetable, salad, bread and dessert.“All we ask people to do is call in advance to tell us their coming,” Nettleton said. “We even come pick people up that need a ride.”For information, call 876-6410.

Staff Writer Thad Angelloz can be reached at 857-2207 or at thad.angelloz@houmatoday.com.